With a style of humour that’s drier than a Thanksgiving turkey, Todd Barry isn’t for everyone. But everyone is for him, apparently, as evidenced by his recent, audience-mangling Crowd Work tour.
In 2013, the surly New York-based comedian, actor and nascent podcaster threw the comedy formula (and his material) out the window and toured around doing nothing but crowd work – a style of comedy where the performer grills strangers in the audience like their lives are an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Off stage, Barry is known widely for his voice work and television appearances (Louie, Flight of the Conchords), as well a milestone role in the Academy Award-winning film, The Wrestler.
“I get a lot of work from friends who happen to make stuff,” he says, humbly.
But standup is where you can really see how Barry ticks.
From his self-released 2001 masterclass, Medium Energy, to the 2012 punchline punchbowl that is Super Crazy, Barry consistently masks killer wit behind an understated, deadpan delivery. Fond of setting up a topic and then quickly moving on, he challenges his listeners to go where his vaguely creepy, absurdist sense of humour takes them.
But with Crowd Work, even he doesn’t know where that is until it’s happening. And while he never gets mean, it’s not exactly like Barry is cozying up to the crowd to get on their good side. In each take of the Crowd Work special, Barry oozes mock disdain before he even speaks – (something about the way his lips purse expectantly and his eyebrows rest on his brow bone like two contented seals…?) – so the risks are real.
In fact, for all the feelings of terror in the front row, going out unscripted for an hour should be the most terrifying thing a comedian could do.
Barry says the result was actually the opposite, however.
“It was more relaxing, in a way, to do those shows than it is to do shows with material,” he explains. “Even though it sounds like it should be scarier.
“I guess just because I don’t know if stuff’s going to work or not,” he continues. “It takes the pressure off. [Whereas] if you do a joke you kind of know, ‘Oh, it’s supposed to work right here’. And then if it doesn’t, it’s failed.
“There’s the additional pressure of having to fill the time and come up with shit that keeps people engaged,” he adds, nonchalantly, “but for the most part it’s gone pretty well.”
The experimental concept also came with the support of comedy superstar Louis C.K., who offered to produce the show and distributed it on his website – so why not, right?
And while Barry is ready to move on to new material – “I didn’t want to be necessarily [known as] the ‘crowd work’ dude,’” he declares, before adding, “which, you could argue, well then don’t do a whole special of crowd work…” – he’s not quite letting go of the adrenaline rush.
For this visit, part of the 10-day JFL NorthWest Comedy Festival, he’s doing a podcast show, two standup sets, and two nights of crowd work. It’s a diverse offering that some might say – between the proliferation of YouTube, Netflix, podcasts, etc. – effectively sums up the zeitgeist of comedy today.
Not Barry, though.
“I just don’t think [comedy] has changed,” he says, of its popularity.
“If it has changed. I don’t know how you measure how it’s changed. There’s always been comedy clubs – I mean,” he chuckles, “comedy is such a broad thing. It’s not like suddenly [now] people want to laugh.”
• Todd Barry performs The Todd Barry Podcast Feb. 25, stand-up Feb. 26 and 27 (early show), and his Crowd Work show Feb. 26 and 27 (late show). All shows at Yuk Yuk’s (2837 Cambie). Tickets at JFLNorthWest.com
